Delhi High Court sets guidelines for smartphone use in schools, rejects total ban

A bench led by Justice Anup Jairam Bhambhani stated that schools must educate students on responsible online behaviour, digital etiquette, and the harmful effects of excessive screen time and social media engagement, including anxiety, diminished attention spans, and cyberbullying.

Rejecting an outright ban, Justice Bhambhani emphasized that smartphones play a crucial role in ensuring student safety and coordination between parents and children.

The policy on regulating and monitoring the use of smartphones in school should be made in consultation with parents, educators, and experts, to evolve a balanced approach that addresses the needs and concerns of all parties involved.

The Delhi High Court clarified that schools should have the discretion to implement policies that fit their unique situations, whether that involves allowing limited use of smartphones in specified areas of the school or enforcing stricter bans, including bans during specific times and events.

A bench of Justice Bhambhani was urged by the Kendriya Vidyalaya Sangathan (KVS) to lay down guidelines for the use of smartphones in schools.

“It is observed that though certain guidelines have been issued by the CBSE and the KVS as far back as in the year 2009, evidently the guidelines have not borne the desired result,” said the Justice Bhambhani-led Bench.

It added that even the more recent advisory issued by the Directorate of Education (DoE) in 2023, only lays down very broad instructions to prevent the misuse of smartphones in schools.

“Importantly, the aforementioned guidelines proceed on the fundamental premise that use of smartphones in school should be banned. This court would observe that much has changed in the past years as regards the use of technology, including for educational and other related purposes. In the opinion of this court, therefore, a complete ban on use of smartphones by students attending school is both an undesirable and unworkable approach,” further said the Justice Bhambhani-led Bench.

Without detracting from the deleterious and harmful effects that arise from the indiscriminate use and misuse of smartphones in school, the Delhi High Court was of the view that smartphones also serve several salutary purposes, including as devices that help with coordination between parents and the children, which adds to the safety and security of students attending school.

It drew up the guiding principles which would serve to balance the beneficial and deleterious effects of permitting the use of smartphones in the hands of students while attending school.

During the course of the hearing, the Delhi High Court invited submissions, suggestions and material from the National Commission for Protection of Child Rights, the Delhi Commission for Protection of Child Rights and from the KVS.

This judgment marks a significant step in balancing technology’s role in education while ensuring discipline, safety, and responsible smartphone usage among students.